Introduction People are social beings. Our acquaintances beget both benefits and consequences. Interpersonal conflict arising from supervisors, colleagues, and client interactions is a form of stress commonly found at work (Kuhns, 2008). Recently, increasing interest has sparked research towards abusive supervision and its negative consequences. Empirical research has found that abusive supervision leads to increased turnover, less favorable attitudes, increased conflict between relationships, and lower in-role and extra-role behaviors (Tepper, 2000). Abusive supervision is a “subordinate’s perception of the extent to which their supervisors engage in the sustained display of hostile verbal and nonverbal behaviors, excluding physical contact” (Tepper, 2000, p. 178). It is considered a form of counterproductive workplace behavior which is opposite to the organization’s interests (Hoobler & Brass, 2006). Abusive supervision is perceptual in nature and based on an individual’s subjective assessment (Tepper, 2001). That is, some individuals may view their supervisor’s behavior as abusive in one situation and non abusive in another. Furthermore, two subordinates may differ in their assessment of a common supervisor’s actions. When confronted with abusive supervisory behaviors, subordinates may be unwilling to admit that they have experienced abusive supervision by their supervisors, while others may exaggerate their supervisor’s hostility. Abusive supervision has a downward influence effect (Tepper, Duffy, & Shaw, 2001). A supervisor’s negative actions tend to “flow downhill” (Hoobler & Brass, 2006, p. 1125) towards weaker individuals. “Individuals rarely abuse targets who are more powerful than themselves” (Lord, 1998 as cited in Tepper et al., 2001, p. 974), “it is unlikely that abused subordinates will reciprocate by abusing their supervisor”